


The Missing Chapters

by witchGender



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-11 08:59:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10460991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchGender/pseuds/witchGender
Summary: A commission for tao-kan on Tumblr. Learn how the various characters from Final Fantasy found themselves in the world(s) of Kingdom Hearts. Ongoing.





	1. A Hero to Be

 

     “ _When the Keyblade War came to a climax, the disaster that had been building exploded across the entire universe. Darkness cloaked every inch of existence, filling hearts of men and worlds alike. Dark Chirithies stalked the landscape like a feral cats, keyblades that had once been held by righteous hands were abandoned, and Kingdom Hearts itself was lost. Millions of lives were destroyed, and many of the survivors would forever be tainted by the Darkness. The immense strain caused the very fabric of existence to tear, and the world was cracked and broken apart, the pieces scattered to the wind. This created dozens of smaller worlds, tiny pocket dimensions that had once been only countries or continents, now their own, smaller realms. Some were forced back in time by the balance of nature being upset. Others fell asleep, their residents lost as if in a dream state, waiting for some light from the outside to end the illusion. And others were lost forever, leaving only a scattered handful of their residents who's hearts and wills shone brighter than most. These refugees found themselves stranded on various other worlds, their memories mangled, with no hope of returning to the places they once called home.”_

  * The Book of Prophecies, Chapter 13




 

     Cloud Strife was tired. This was a fact anyone could tell you, even those who had only seen him once. He had hunched shoulders, eyes that always seemed to hold a secret, and a weary sigh in his voice whenever he spoke. If one was a stranger to him, they might suspect he was going through a rough patch in life, or perhaps he had just missed his morning coffee. If one knew him well, then they would know his exhaustion was inherent, just as much a part of him as his other little personal quirks. This morning where our story begins was no different, as he sat in Tifa's bar, staring grumpily down at a cup of coffee.

     “Sleepy?” asked a teasing voice. He glanced up, and couldn't help a small smile. Over him stood Aerith, looking as bright and fresh as a May flower after an April shower. She leaned down and kissed his cheek before sitting next to him, setting down a plate with a pastry on it on the table in front of her.

     “Coffee's too hot to drink.” he mumbled, automatically shifting on the bench to sit closer to her. Meeting in the bar each morning was a ritual of theirs. Ever since their country of Gaia had been lost forever, they'd been living in the world of Radiant Garden, scraping by doing odd jobs in Cloud's case and running a small gardening service in Aerith's case. They couldn't afford to get a house together, so they always made a point of meeting for breakfast.

     “So that's why you look like you're getting into a staring contest with it.” she giggled. As she nibbled on her pastry (a strawberry tart, to be exact), the door to the bar swung open, and Cloud couldn't hold in a small smile at who walked in.

     “Hey guys!” called Zack, quickly rushing to their table. He gave each of them a quick kiss. Cloud wished it had lingered more. He knew the number of kisses he'd get from Zack would be very limited very soon.

     “Good morning, Zack.” Aerith hummed, smiling up at him. “Are you going to join us for breakfast before you go?”

     “Of course!” he said with a grin before heading over to the bar. “Hey Tifa, you got-”

     “Three steps ahead of you, puppy dog.” Tifa said with a smile, setting a large breakfast plate in front of him. While Tifa's bar (named “The Cat and Wolf”) was just that, a bar, it was also open as a sort of cafe during the day. Radiant Garden didn't have many late-night drinkers, so Tifa decided to put her cooking skills to use and serve people all day. “You sure you have to go? I'm gonna lose one of my regulars.” she said, smiling a bit ruefully.

     “Sorry, but I've got an adventure waiting for me out there.” He winked at her, taking his plate and heading back to the table where his boyfriend and girlfriend waited. He squeezed onto the end of the bench, sandwiching Aerith between him and Cloud.

     “Do you know how long you'll be gone?” Cloud asked softly. Zack held up a finger, his mouth already full of food. Cloud smiled fondly. None of them had many solid memories of the place they had once lived, but whatever happened to Zack had given him a hell of an appetite. Cloud actually had a similar ability to polish off huge plates of food in one sitting – he just preferred not to.

     “At least a couple years.” Zack replied, once he had chewed and swallowed. “I can't be sure until I get there, but I've heard there's a lot of training before you're allowed to actually try and become a hero.” Zack smiled, looking momentarily lost in his own thoughts. “I can't wait. An entire world full of monsters to hunt and people to learn from...” Zack had dreamed of becoming a hero his whole life. Cloud had never been able to shake the feeling that Zack already was a hero, somehow, but he couldn't for the life of him remember why. It was this dream that was driving Zack to leave Radiant Garden and travel to Greece, a world where, if the rumors were true, people could train to become heros worthy of recognition by the gods. Cloud, secretly, didn't want him to go. The entire mission seemed dangerous, and it meant being separated from one of the people he loved the most. But he wouldn't stand in the way of something so important to Zack.

     It seemed that Cloud couldn't hide his thoughts from Aerith, because he was brought out of them by a soft kiss to the cheek and a hand in his. He looked up, surprised, to see her warm green eyes smiling at him.

     “Don't worry Cloud, it's going to be okay. Zack really won't be gone for long at all. And we'll have each other!” She squeezed his hand, and Cloud felt his heart flutter the same way it had when he first met her.

     “Yeah!” said Zack, reaching behind Aerith and patting Cloud on the back. “Come on chocobo, don't look so glum. When I get back, I'll be a tried-and-true, card-carrying hero!”

     “You're already a hero to me.” Cloud mumbled, face turning red. Zack tossed his head back and laughed merrily, Aerith's giggles soon joining him.

     “Thanks, babe. You're sweet.” Standing, he moved close to Cloud and gave him a sweet, lingering kiss. Cloud loved it, but he couldn't help feeling like a stone dropped into his stomach. It was a feeling he'd been getting a little too often.

 

     Once the trio had completely finished their food, they paid and bid Tifa goodbye. She gave Zack a particularly tight thug and told him not to get himself killed. He laughed off the warning and headed outside, Cloud and Aerith trailing behind. Cloud hurried forward a few steps and grabbed Zack's hand, holding on tight, painfully aware he'd only be able to hold it for a little while longer. Aerith stepped up to Zack's other side and did the same, though her hold was much more gentle.

     “Cid's shop, right?” she asked. Zack nodded.

     Cid Highwind was another of the refugees from Gaia. Like the others, he was somewhat lacking in memories of their homeworld. But he knew he had once flown an airship, because that airship was what he had arrived in, along with Tifa and their friend Yuffie. Locals from Radiant Garden had said they'd found the wreckage of the airship in the middle of the night, shortly after hearing a loud crash. The remains were smoldering, and looked as if they'd been through a war. Cid and the girls had been the only people on board. Zack, Cloud, and Aerith had been found a few days later, wandering the countryside and looking very lost. The six refugees recognized each other, but none of them knew exactly why. Cloud knew he and Zack had once studied together somewhere. Aerith knew her childhood had been shrouded in darkness, and even when things had improved, she'd been living somewhere rather unpleasant. Tifa knew she had been friends with Cloud for a very long time. Bits and pieces, fragments of memory that didn't even begin to make a complete puzzle. After months had passed and it had become clear that none of them were going to be remembering anything fast, they had all decided simply to settle in Radiant Garden and try to make lives for themselves. In order to cling to what he knew of his old life, Cid had started up a shop in town, building and modifying gummi ships. They weren't exactly the same as his airship – that technology was something no one in Radiant Garden knew how to work with – but they worked well enough. Yuffie lived with Cid in his flat above the shop, and occasionally she helped him out, running errands and the like. Together, they'd built a nice little business making a repairing ships. And now, one of those ships was going to Zack's personal ticket to another world.

     “You're lucky, getting to see other worlds.” Aerith sighed, leaning her head on Zack's shoulder. “To think, you'll be able to sail the stars, go wherever you wish, while I've only been here, and Gaia of course.”

     “Hey, count yourself lucky that you even know there are other worlds.” Zack teased. “I've heard there are plenty of worlds out there that are completely unaware of each other. They just float out there, all on their own. It's kind of sad, really.”

     “It's not really surprising, though.” Cloud chimed in. “I don't think we knew about other worlds on Gaia, did we?”

     No answer came, and Cloud wasn't really expecting one. The history of Radiant Garden, as well as the other worlds, was a fragmented thing. It was said that Radiant Garden's leader, Master Ansem the Wise, knew more than most, but if one were to ask him about the subject, he'd shake his head sadly and say that much of the knowledge was lost. All that Cloud knew for sure was that, once upon a time, he had lived on some other world – or at the very least, in some other country – named Gaia, and that Gaia was now destroyed, though they only knew if its destruction through shadowy memories from the minds of the survivors. Ansem had explained to him that somehow, Gaia's destruction had sent him and his friends to Radiant Garden. That wasn't nearly clear enough of an explanation for Cloud, but he couldn't find out anything else. No explanation for the lost memories, no clue as to how to get them back. And no one seemed particularly interested in helping them, either. To the people of Radiant Garden, Cloud and the other people of Gaia were just new members of the community. And while Radiant Garden was by no means a bad place to live, Cloud could never quite shake the vague sense of not belonging. The only people who seemed to understand were the handful of other people from Gaia, and a man named Squall Leonhart, who was also from a different world. Cloud hadn't spoken to Squall much, but he sensed that he missed his home just as much as Cloud missed Gaia.

 

     Upon reaching Cid's shop, the trio let go of each other's hands, a little regretfully. Zack pushed the door to the shop open, causing a bell that was hung on it to jingle. The shop was small, but clean, with various gummi blocks and tools neatly displayed on shelves. Tiny model gummi ships hung from the ceiling alongside two lamps that emitted a soft, warm yellow light. There was a long wooden counter with glass cases built into it, displaying more expensive and rare ship parts. Cloud heard grunting, and a second later, Cid popped up from where he was crouching behind the counter. Cloud couldn't help smiling slightly at the site of him. Cid was a scruffy man, with blond hair and stubble, a square jaw, and a permanent glare in his eyes. He looked like everyone's grumpy but affectionate uncle.

     “Zack!” Cid barked, grinning. “There you are boy, was wondering if you changed your mind about leaving.”

     “No sir! Just had to go on one last breakfast date.” He threw an arm around each of his partners as he said it, squeezing them close. Cloud blushed and smiled shyly.

     “Right, right, always good to have a good send-off. I've already loaded the bag you brought last night into the ship. You've got a full fuel tank and an emergency repair kit. She's waiting out back for you.”

     “Thanks, Cid.” Zack said with a smile. Then he looked down at Cloud and Aerith, his eyes softening. “Well... I guess this is it guys.”

     “Fly safe.” Aerith said softly. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, slowly, sweetly, but passionately. Cloud watched the two embrace with an ache in his heart, thinking of how long it would be before he saw them doing it again. When the kiss ended, they simply held each other's gaze for a moment.

     “I love you.” Zack said quietly.

     “And I love you.” Aerith murmured in return. For just a moment, Cloud saw sadness in her eyes. It was jarring. Aerith was always looking on the bright side, but even she was sad to see Zack go. Cloud's thought were interrupted as Zack turned to him, pulling him into a hug so tight, it was almost crushing. The hug was followed by an equally desperate kiss, which Cloud returned clumsily. He silently cursed himself as he felt a tear run down his cheek.

     “And I love you too, Cloud.” Zack said, smiling, though his eyes were sad.

     “I love you too.” Cloud managed to stutter out, his throat seeming to close. Zack looked back and forth between Cloud and Aerith. “You two take care of each other, you hear?”

     “Alright, alright, enough of the theatrics.” Cid grumbled, startling all three of them. “You kids are gonna scare off my customers!” He glared as Zack laughed, gave both his loves one last hug, then disappeared through the door behind the counter.

     Cloud swallowed thickly as he watched Zack leave. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't believe that this was a good idea. He wanted to be happy. Zack was going to become a hero, going to fulfill his life-long dream! But Cloud's chest felt tight, his stomach felt heavy, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was going to be a very, very long time before he saw Zack again. A sense of danger hung heavy over his heart, and Cloud bit his lip as the door shut behind his boyfriend. Cloud was startled when he suddenly felt Aerith tugging on his arm.

     “Come outside, we need to watch him take off!” She urged. Cloud followed her out of the shop, and they stood in the center of the cobblestone street, eyes locked on the sky as the small, brightly-colored, one man ship took to the sky. It might've been Cloud's imagination, but he thought he might've seen Zack waving to them as he flew away. Cloud hiccuped, the tears flowing freely down his face. He felt Aerith hug him, but couldn't make himself look down at her, his eyes still glued to the sky even after Zack's ship was far out of sight.

     “He'll be okay.” she whispered into his neck, although she sounded less certain then she had earlier. Cloud put an arm around her waist, wondering if she was feeling the same sense of dread as him.

     “Yeah.” he forced out, trying to smile. “Of course he will. He's Zack. Zack always comes out okay, right?”

     “Right!” she said, forcing a laugh. They were both lying.

 

     As Zack's gummi ship rocketed peacefully through space, he was blissfully unaware of the fate awaiting him at his destination. His only thoughts were of getting there, and of the home he was leaving behind. Zack loved Radiant Garden, he really did. It was always Spring there, and flowers bloomed all year round. It was a place where Aerith flourished and Cloud could learn to relax. But he knew it wasn't really where they belonged. He could never explain that feeling, but it had been there from the moment he'd woken up on that planet. And even though he'd settled in fairly nicely, had made friends with the locals, and enjoyed his life on the Garden planet, Zack couldn't help wondering about the tiny memories he had of home. Why did Aerith like flowers so much? Why was Cloud always so tense and nervous? Where had this heroic dream of Zack's originally come from? So many questions, and all the answers lay on Gaia, a place that no longer existed. Zack frowned sadly out at the stars. He wondered if, after his mission was over, he and the others could get their hands on another gummi ship. Something built for long-term travel. They could explore space together. Pop through worm holes and search for any trace of their lost home. Maybe they'd find something.

     But even as the thought formed, Zack shook his head, ridding himself of it. Gaia was gone. That much was certain. All of them had vague memories of earthquakes splitting apart the ground under their feet, of strong winds sweeping building away like crumpled paper, and an unnatural darkness covering the sky. If he and his friends were going to regain their memories, it would be through other means. There was no point in searching for a place they knew was lost.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excited to get the ball rolling with this! Expect a new chapter every two weeks. This story won't work perfectly with KH canon, since it includes the various FF worlds, but I'll do my best to make it an interesting read nonetheless. Also, even though this chapter was a bit heavy with the Zackclerith, the ship won't be the main focus of the fic. Kudos and comments are appreciated!


	2. The Fall

     “ _The Master of the Garden was a wise man, but also a kind one, and his kindness would be his downfall. When he took in the strange young man with silver hair, he did not suspect anything unusual would come of it. In fact, the youth turned out to be a bright student, curious and eager to learn. He quickly rose through the ranks amongst the castle scholars, until he was leading a small group of students himself. These students, a group of six in total, became known as the Apprentices, and they practiced the sciences and magics associated with Light, Darkness, and the nature of the heart. In time, however, the young stranger grew too curious, unhealthily so. When his Master tried to force him to halt his experiments, the pupil turned on his teacher, framing him for crimes he did not commit, and banished him from the garden. The student took everything from the Master, from his title, to his worldly possessions, to even his very name. Unhindered by their former Master's interference, the Apprentices continued their work, their experiments growing darker and darker. It was a year after the stranger initially arrived in the Garden that the experiments finally went beyond the dangerous and straight into the deadly...”_

    * The Book of Prophecies, Chapter 19

 




     Fire. Fire everywhere. Crawling along the streets, climbing up the sides of buildings, painting the sky orange. The earth shook as Squall frantically ran, his head pounding and his ears filled with screams. He could find no one who understood the source of the chaos, only survivors running from it, and corpses of those who had not gotten away fast enough. It had been a normal night, calm and peaceful, until the sky had suddenly been split apart by twisters, the earth had begun to shake and crack open, and a terrifying darkness began to creep across the town. Squall had been woken by his room shaking and his belongings falling from their shelves. Terrified but determined to find out what was going on, he had grabbed his gunblade and run outside, calling frantically for anyone he knew.

     What he had found hadn't given him much hope. Hundreds were already dead or dying. Some had been trapped in burning houses, swept up in the tornadoes, or fallen through the cracks in the earth. But those seemed to be the lucky dead. Others had been caught by the darkness. Squall watched in horror as a woman was snatched by it, surrounded in writhing, smoky tendrils. She screamed as the darkness seemed to pierce her chest without breaking skin. Something crawled out of her, something hunched and mangled and horrible. She sobbed and pleaded, but the thing clawed its way out of her, shrieking like a demon. She collapsed, utterly lifeless, her face a mask of pain and terror, and her eyes completely blank voids. Squall was so petrified by the sight, that he almost didn't have time to react when the monster that had emerged from the woman lunged at him. He barely got his gunblade up in time to block. Horrible black teeth snapped inches from his face, the creature's yellow eyes full of animalistic hunger. Squall shoved the monster away and easily took off its head with a single slash. The thing collapsed in a pile of writhing, formless darkness. But before Squall could properly catch his breath, it was reforming, pulling itself up from the ground, seeming angrier than ever. Squall felt his heart sink as he realized he could not kill it. Opting for a tactical retreat, he turned and ran down the street, heading for where he knew Aerith lived.

     As he had hoped, she was alive, her house so far untouched by the fire. She ran outside at the sight of him, quickly embracing him.

     “You're okay!” she cried, voice full of relief and fear.

     “Yeah, for now at least.” He put a hand on her shoulder, meeting her eyes. “Listen, I need you to gather survivors. Get your staff and find Cloud. Lead anyone who's still alive out of town. You know those caves by the river we explored that one time? Hide out there until everything dies down. And don't touch the darkness!” She nodded, face determined.

     “You can count on-” Her words died as her eyes doubled in size and her jaw went slack, something behind Squall holding her gaze.

     “What's wrong?!”

     “Lea...” she choked out.

     “Huh?” Squall turned, and felt his heart leap into his throat. There, dancing on a rooftop like a demon, was Lea. The boy was unmistakable, but something was very wrong about him. He wore a black leather cloak, and everything he touched seemed to catch fire. He threw out his hands, laughing, and the buildings on either side of him burst into flames. He looked at Squall, and Squall had never felt such terror in years. Though Lea was smiling, it wasn't the usual prankster grin the boy always wore. It was a little too wide, a little too wicked. And his eyes, his  _eyes_ . They were inhumanly blank, lifeless. They held no emotion, no soul. Squall was reminded of the face of the woman who had died in front of him minutes before.

     “That's not Lea.” he breathed. He turned to Aerith one last time, his expression grave. “Do as I told you. And if you see anyone else like that, avoid them.” Without waiting for an answer, Squall hefted his gunblade and raced across the street to the house “Lea” was incinerating. The boy jumped to the ground right before the building collapsed.

     “Lea, stop!” Squall shouted, trying to grab him. “What the hell are you doing?!” But he was shoved back and flung against another house, taken off guard by Lea's suddenly inhuman strength. His question was answered only by a giggle. Squall lunged at the boy again, attempting to land a blow with the flat of his blade to knock him out, but Lea was fast. Unbelievably fast. He danced about like he weighed nothing at all, leaving a trail of fire in his wake, those dead eyes boring into Squall like drills. Then, as they passed an alley, a scream rang out from inside it, and both Squall and Lea looked to the source of the noise.

 _Oh god. No. Not him too._ There were two figures in the alley, struggling with each other. One was a tall man, covered in blood. The other was Isa. He was dressed in a black cloak exactly like Lea's, but his was glistening with red. Isa snarled and clawed at the man, pinning him to the wall. Squall ran towards them, forgetting about Lea for a moment, but by the time he reached the fight, it was too late. The man slummed to the ground, lifeless. Isa stood, slightly hunched, holding something wet and red in his hands. He made a disgusted noise and threw the thing to his feet. Squall struggled not to be sick. _Holy shit, that's his heart_. Then Isa faced Squall. The terror the gunner had felt at the first sight of Lea was nothing compared to what he felt in that moment with Isa. The boy's clothing and face were streaked with gore. His hair hung limp and ragged, the vibrant blue crusted and matted with blood. His expression was horribly, coldly blank. But his eyes were the worst thing, for they, just like Lea's and the dead woman's, were completely and utterly void. Not black, just... empty.

     Squall sensed movement to his right and jerked around. Lea was circling him like an animal stalking its prey. He seemed to be moving intentionally closer to Isa, as the two shared some kind of look. Squall made a half-conscious note of the fact that, even in this cursed state, the two seemed to be on a different level from anyone else. They both advanced on Squall then, Lea letting out an awful giggle as Isa's face turned into a snarling mask of rage. Was it rage? Or was it just some terrible, primal hunger? Squall decided he couldn't stay to find out. No matter what had caused them to become like this, Lea and Isa were just kids. Barely sixteen. He knew them. He'd seen them eating ice cream in the market, throwing coins in the fountain, playing pranks on the guards. They were _kids_. Shaking his head, he turned and ran once again. He heard their footsteps speed up and his stomach lurched as he realized he couldn't outrun them. Lea still had his impossible speed, and judging by the thud of Isa's boots and his labored breathing, he wasn't easy to outrun either. Squall's only chance was to lose them somehow.

     A chance presented itself when he passes a street that was rapidly filling with darkness and monsters. The monsters moved aimlessly, shambling around as if they had no real thought process or plan of attack. Only when Squall drew close did they try to attack. Squall batted the smaller ones aside with his gunblade, not bothering to try to kill them. Forcing himself into the crowd, he ducked and wove around the monsters, glancing behind only once or twice. Lea and Isa seemed to show no interests in the beasts, and the monsters in turn showed no interest in the boys. However, the crowd was serving to slow the boys, and that's what Squall was hoping for. He aimed his gunblade and started firing, clearling a few feet of path at a time and racing forward. He scanned the area around him for any sign of survivors. At first he saw nothing, other than the occasional victim falling prey to the monsters. But then he rounded a corner to find Tifa Lockheart, surrounded by the strange black creatures.

     “Tifa!” Squall shouted. Her head jerked up, and Squall quickly fired three shots. Each one landed true and destroyed its target, but then he felt the click of the empty gunblade. _Shit_. He charged, swinging the weapon. Tifa, no longer fully cornered, joined in the fray and quickly snapped the necks of several monsters. Once the small area was cleared, she turned to him, face grave.

     “Do you have any idea what's going on?” she asked.

     “No. I'm just trying to get as many people out as possible. Aerith is too, and maybe Cloud.” He grimaced. “Assuming he's still alive, that is. Any clue what these things are?”

     “None at all. I've never seen things like them before. You kill one, and it just pops up somewhere else. I think I have an idea who caused this, though.”

     “You do?”

     “The Apprentices. I saw two of them. Even and Dilan. I don't think the monsters are attacking them at all. But they were acting strange, and magic was pouring off of them like nothing I've ever seen before. Anything that got within ten feet of Even froze solid, and I think Dilan's the one causing all those twisters.” She pointed to the distance, where one such twister was currently ripping a small house up from the ground. Squall frowned.

     “I saw something weird too. Lea and Isa... It's like they've been possessed or something. Lea's literally leaking fire, and Isa was tearing people apart like some kind of animal. They didn't even respond when I tried to call out to them.” His voice choked up slightly near the end. He was trying not to think too hard about what exactly was happening, but he couldn't fight back the horror at seeing the boys acting so monstrous. Tifa's eyes widened.

     “Oh god, them too?” She looked in the direction Squall had come from, biting her lip. “Maybe we should-”

     “It's no use. It's like they can't even hear you. I tried to stop them, they just turned their attacks on me. We need to focus on helping the people who aren't acting strange.” Just then, a particularly large monster lurched around the corner, turning its beady eyes on the pair. Squall's mouth snapped shut, and he cursed himself for not reloading his gunblade when he had the chance. He charged at the creature alongside Tifa. Together, they managed to take it down, but not without effort.  
“We can't keep this up.” Tifa panted. “There's an army. And they keep reforming. That thing will be back soon.”

     “Then let's just get the hell out of here and grab anyone we can on the way!” Squall snapped. He was angry. Beyond angry. He was acutely aware that his home was burning to the ground, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

_How many more homes am I going to lose?_

 

 

     The mood on the caves was grim. There were only a handful of survivors. Other than Squall, Tifa, and Aerith, Cloud had also survived, along with Cid and Yuffie and a handful of locals. Squall had heard rumors of others, specifically the Apprentices, but none of the news regarding them had been good. Witnesses had claimed to see Alaeus shaking the earth with every step, Braig walking through walls and attacking like some violent poltergeist, and even little Ienzo, flitting about like a ghost, causing all who looked at him to see terrible visions of their worst fears. None of the Apprentices had been recovered, and neither had Lea or Isa. It was as if the group had vanished after the dawn came. Not that it was much of a dawn. The sky had been so thick with darkness, only weak grey light graced the ground that morning. It was as if the very sky was mourning. Squall watched, numb, as Aerith comforted a crying boy.

     “There there now, sweetie, it'll be alright. What's your name?”

     “D-Dyme.” he sputtered out, clinging to her. “W-Where are M-Mom and Dad?”

     “I don't know. But I promise I'll look for them as soon as I can, alright?” She stroked Dyme's hair, and when the boy was no longer looking her in the eye, Squall saw her expression grow grim. She knew the boy's parents were probably long dead. But she wasn't going to tell him that. Not now, not after the terror they had all just witnessed. She'd let him cling to hope just a little longer.

     The thud of boots sounded at the cave entrance, and Cloud entered, surrounded by a small group of people. A boy with a mess of pink hair and a sweater, holding hands tightly with a fierce looking blonde girl, and a young man who looked like he'd seen the devil himself.  
“Lumaria! Elenar!” cried Dyme. He leapt from Aerith's arms and ran to the other boy and girl, who embraced him like a brother. The young man wandered closer to Aerith and sat on the floor by the rock she was perched on. She smiled kindly at him.

     “What's your name?” she asked kindly.

     “Ludor.” he croaked out, his gaze not leaving the cave wall. Aerith quickly handed him a bottle of water. He was shaking so badly, Aerith needed to help him drink. Squall's fists clenched. He hated seeing citizens of Radiant Garden like this. Clinging together like survivors of a shipwreck, knowing their captain had betrayed them and they'd never see their homes again.

     “The monsters have mostly gone. There are only stragglers now.” Cloud reported. His expression was stoney. In the year that Zack had been gone, Cloud had slowly gotten colder and colder. The attack seemed to have turned him completely into ice. “As far as I can tell, these three are the last survivors. I found them hiding in one of the only houses still standing.” He looked Squall in the eye, and Squall struggled not to react at what that meant. There was barely a dozen people in the caves. Only a dozen or so survivors.

     “Have you sent moogles to neighboring towns? Maybe it attack didn't get very far.” Aerith piped up, looking hopeful. Cloud shook his head.

     “I was able to find a family of moogles hiding out in a collapsed shop, but they told me they've already flown around the area. One of them is still out there, exploring. From what they've seen, the darkness has covered the whole planet.”  
Squall felt his throat close.  _Darkness, covering the whole planet_ . Though he remembered little of his life before Radiant Garden, that phrase sounded horribly familiar, and it made his blood run cold.

     “I'm leaving.” Cloud said suddenly. Squall's expression turned to a glare.

     “Like hell you are.”

     “Cloud, love, we need to stick together!” Aerith objected.

     “Our home is  _gone_ , Aer!” Cloud snapped, eyes suddenly ablaze. “Everything's gone! Your house, my house,  _Zack's house_ ! He's got no idea this happened! What'll he do when he tries to come home and there's no home for him to come back to?!” He was shaking, looking somehow unstoppable and extremely breakable all at once. “I need to go to him, he needs to know-” He was cut off by Aerith standing and embracing him, pressing his face into her neck. He clung to her as she stroked his hair, softly shushing him. Squall watched with a bitter expression. He understood Cloud's concern for Zack, but Zack had specifically said he'd be gone for at least two years. It had only been about one and a half. Odds were, Zack was safe and sound in Greece, with no intentions of returning. And Squall knew he could use Cloud there, at home. He was one of the strongest warriors Squall knew, and one of his closest friends. But when Aerith turned and looked at him, he knew from her expression that she was going to take Cloud's side.

     “Someone should go and warn Zack.” she said softly. “It won't do to hide the news from him. Like Cloud said, he can't come home and see all this. It would break his heart.” She looked at Cloud as he slowly straightened and pulled out of her hug.

     “I'll come right back.” he promised, voice determined. “As soon as I find him, I'll come right back and help, I promise. Who knows, maybe he'll want to come back, when he hears what happened.” Squall sighed. He really didn't see the point in rushing off to tell Zack when he was just fine where he was, and there was work to be done. But he could see in Cloud's eyes that there was no stopping him.

     “Fine. Find Cid, ask if he can lend you a gummi pod. Be safe, but travel fast. We need to back here.” He gave Cloud a quick, one-armed hug, praying it wouldn't be the last time he'd see the sulky swordsman.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo-hoo, chapter two! And it's... an emotional one. As you can see, I decided to go a different route from canon with the fall of RG. I know, in canon, it's Maleficent who corrupts the place. But I always thought it would make a lot more sense if it was the first eight organization members, newly made into nobodies and unaware of themselves, who wrecked the place. So enjoy the pain.


	3. Hollow Bastion

     “ _Scarred by Darkness and forsaken by its ruler, the Garden was reduced to a hollow husk of itself. What survivors there were swiftly flew away, eager to escape the evil forces that had infected their home. Only a few remained, searching for answers to the mystery of the crisis. But where some saw wreckage, others saw opportunity.”_

    * The Book of Prophecies, Chapter 19




 

     Tifa wandered slowly through the rubble, ashes and glass crunching softly under her boots. Other than those soft sounds, the air was silent. It had been several days since the attack. Barely anyone had survived. Those that had hide out in the caves outside of town. Thankfully, one of the survivors was Cid Highwind, and he'd manage to save a few of his gummi ships. He'd been ferrying people offworld for days. Tifa wasn't ready to leave though, not yet. She wanted answers, and she was certain those answers could be found in Ansem's castle.

     The castle had always been the heart of Radiant Garden, both physically and socially. It was set dead-center of the world's most populated city, and had always housed the ruler of Radiant Garden. But it was more than just a castle. It was a school, an orphanage, a safe haven for anyone who had no where else to go. Tifa herself had lived there, along with other off-world residents, before she had made a home for herself in the Garden. When Xehanort had first arrived, the castle had been where he lived. Tifa felt a bitter taste in the back of her throat, thinking of Ansem the Wise taking in that strange man. He'd seemed alright in the beginning, just a bit lost. And after he'd settled in, he had bloomed into a wonderful member of the community. But Tifa was certain he had hidden motivations behind throwing out Ansem the Wise, and the attack on the city just solidified that in her mind. During the battle, she'd noticed that many of the monsters had seemed to be streaming out of the castle. So it was the castle she headed for, hoping to find the source of the darkness, or at the very least, some kind of clue. The castle was one of the few buildings that hadn't been completely leveled during the attack. The floor of the courtyard was cracked and broken, and the gardens were completely thrashed and burned, but the building itself remained mostly whole. Gingerly, Tifa climbed up the crumbling steps and went inside.

     Even with the walls standing, the interior was far from untouched. Furniture was smashed, chandeliers had fallen, and broken windows outnumbered unbroken ones. Tifa felt lucky that there wasn't anything alive lurking around inside. Slowly, she picked her way through the rooms. At first, nothing seemed unusual. There were sitting rooms, lounges, a dining hall, the dormitories. Then, she found the library.

     Tifa had only been inside the castle a few times, but she had seen the library before. It was a vast room, filled with shelves packed so tightly, they were hard to squeeze through. Each set of shelves, each bookcase, each table and cabinet, held books of every size and shape. People had often said there was all the knowledge in the universe in that library. But now it had all changed. Bookcases had been roughly shoved against the wall, some of them completely tipped over. The books were stacked and shoved anywhere they would fit, as if to get them out of the way. Most of those books were now damaged beyond repair, burnt to barely recognizable piles of charcoal. The center of the room was completely ruined. There was some kind of hole in the floor, as if an explosion had taken place. Deep cracks ran through the marble and black soot stained everything. Tifa swallowed. The place felt dead. No, not dead. Just lifeless.

     The sound of footsteps caused her to jerk around. Squall entered the room, holding a handful of papers. He paused, surprised.

     “What're you doing here?”

     “Same as you. Looking for answers.” Her eyes flicked down to the pile of papers.

     “And I take it you found some?” The way his face twisted in displeasure made her stomach clench. He held the papers wordlessly out to her, and she took them. The pages looked like they might've once been clipped together, maybe even part of a book. But now most of them were highly damaged, leaving only a few at the back of the pile that were still readable. Tifa realized as she flipped through them that they were some kind of journal, and each entry was signed with Xehanort's signiture. Straightening the pile slightly, she started to read aloud.

     “ _Day 207. I am making steady progress. Without the old man here, I am free to do as I please, and that is proving to be a great advantage. Four's experiments are progressing wonderfully, and we've managed to repeatedly create the beings that the old man called “nobodies”. He seemed convinced that it is impossible for them to have anything beyond the most basic of intelligences, but I believe there is more to these creatures than he ever saw. He found out one would need a strong heart to become a nobody upon falling to the darkness, but his notes mention nothing of the mind. All the specimens we've created so far seemed to have suffered damage to their minds upon corruption. But if we could avoid that, I believe we could create a superior being. A human without emotional needs or desires. A human without a heart._ ”

     She looked up at Squall, confused, and a bit scared. “What's he talking about?”

     “Just keep reading.” He face was grave. She nodded and went to the next page.

     “ _Day 225. Having some complications with my apprentices. Four has discovered what Two and I have been doing, and he highly disapproves. It's rather irritating. I was sure a man of science like him would understand that sometimes, sacrifices must be made in the name of knowledge. He only agreed to keep quiet when I assured him that being a nobody is a temporary state, and that I would return the subjects' hearts to them upon completion of my research. Four is smart, but he is not wise. Anyone with a grain of true wisdom would see I have no such intentions. Even the lowest nobodies make useful servants, even the ones I can no longer glean data from. Two made an interesting suggestion that might solve not only the issue with Four, but with the other apprentices as well. I'll have to think on it._ ” Tifa swallowed and coughed, her throat a bit dry. Squall was pacing around the room as he listened, eyes on the hole in the floor. Tifa turned to the next page.

     “ _Day 229. Two's suggestion has not left my mind, and I am beginning to grow more and more interested in the idea. I've noticed that Six seems to be growing uncomfortable with our research – whether this is due to his age I am not sure. Perhaps Four is sharing secrets which he should not. Regardless, it would be useful to nip any sort of rebellion in the bud. It would be unfortunate and messy to have to kill a child._ ” She stopped, her chest tightening. “A child? Then he must mean-”

     “Ienzo.” Squall agreed with a grim nod. “I couldn't make out all the numbers, but Ienzo must be number six. I think it's a chain of command – he always talks about “Two” as if he were second in command.” He sighed. “Just... skip to the end. The last page.” Tifa nodded and quickly flipped to it.

     “ _Day 251. At last, preparations are complete. Two has ensured that all the apprentices will be participating willingly, which will make the entire process easier to handle. The only hitch was the discovery of two boys running around the castle. Three caught them eavesdropping, and it was clear from the looks on their faces that they heard too much. I'm having them kept in cages at the moment, but I think I shall have them participate in the ritual as well. If they don't prove strong enough, they will simply become lesser nobodies, more pawns for my use. If they show enough spirit, then I'll have two more backups. A Seven and an Eight. Eight, a nice round number to start with. We can always gather more, if need be. This will most likely be my last entry. Judging from how much power nobodies give off on their initial creation, this ritual will result in six to eight magical bombs going off in the castle library. The odds of these documents surviving are slim. But that is no matter. I have reason to believe my memories will return to me, once I am past the initial stages of adjusting to my heartless state. Then I can continue my work as planned, unhindered by emotion and regret. My apprentices will also be far more useful when they aren't whining and complaining about everything we've done as of late being “unethical” and in some cases even “inhuman”. There will be no reason to complain of us being inhuman when we are no longer human. I hope, perhaps, that this process may also silence-_ ”

     Tifa stopped short. The page was burned, and she could read no further. She swallowed, and realized her face was wet. She'd started crying without even knowing it. She looked up at Squall. He was crouched near one side of the blast area, peering at the rubble. He reached into it, then straightened up, holding two battered metal cages. They looked like they had been torn apart from the inside.

     “Isa and Lea.” he said quietly. His eyes were full of fire. Squall had been acting haunted ever since the attack, even more so than some. It always seemed to get worse whenever the missing boys were brought up.

     “What did he do to them...?” she breathed, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment, she didn't move. Then she threw the papers away in a dizzying flurry, screaming at the sky.

     “WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM, XEHANORT?!” She collapsed to the ground, sobbing and shaking with rage. She was vaguely aware of Squall coming around and placing a hand on her back, as if to comfort her. “He was a monster. We let a monster live in our city. Right in its heart. And he turned our best and brightest into monsters right along with him. What did he _do_ , Squall? All this talk of hearts, does he mean like Kingdom Hearts? What reason could he possibly have to do things like _this_ , all for the sake of research?”

     If it had been up to Tifa, she would've staying in that castle all night. Once the initial rage and anguish wore off, she felt nothing but a burning desire to know everything she could about Xehanort's plan. There was some faint hope in her heart that maybe, just maybe, the apprentices could be saved. But just when she was feeling stable enough to wipe her tears and stand, there was the sound of a door crashing open somewhere in the castle. Squall jerked around in the direction of the noise, eyes narrowed.

     “What now?” Tifa groaned.

     “Sounds like something broke in.” Squall replied, before taking off down a hallway. Tifa was close behind him, her fists clenched, ready for anything. Or at least, she thought she was ready for anything. When they reached the main entrance hall and found a tall, horned woman in a black cape, Tifa couldn't help stopping short in surprise.

     “Who're you?!” she demanded, fists raised in a fighting stance. The woman turned to face them, and her eyes were wickedly green as she smiled.

     “Oh, so this place isn't entirely empty. What a surprise.” The woman strode forward, her golden staff clinking on the marble floor. “I am Maleficent, the greatest of the fairies. I'm seeking out the ruler of this land.”

     “You just missed him.” Squall said bitterly. “He left a few days ago, after he trashed the place.”

     “Is that so?” Maleficent looked around, her expression interested. Then she looked back at Squall and smiled in a way that made Tifa very uncomfortable. “Is it safe to say, then, that he no longer rules this place?”

     “I guess.” said Squall, deadpan. “Not like there's much left to rule. Hardly anyone survived the attack.”

     “ _Excellent_.” Suddenly, Maleficent swung her arm forward, casting a semi-circle in the air with her staff. A blast of energy hit Squall and Tifa like a tidal wave, and both were knocked against the wall, hard. Tifa felt the air leave her lungs and collapsed, gasping desperately. “I hate to cut this conversation short,” Maleficent drawled with a wave of her hand, “but I'm afraid I have business to attend to. You see, I've been searching for a new home for a very, very long time, and I think this is just the place! I'll let my servants take care of you.” She swept out of the room with a booming laugh. As she left, a cloud of darkness formed where she had stood, and Tifa recognized the monsters crawling out of it.

     “Squall!” she rasped, the wind still knocked out of her. She struggled to her feet, hastily casting Cure. She sighed in relief as the pain from hitting the wall faded. She quickly knelt by Squall and cast it again before grabbing him by the arm and bolting. He stumbled after her, not arguing. They both knew they couldn't take on the hoard that Maleficent had left for them. Thankfully, outrunning them wasn't much of an issue. They managed to lose their pursuers in the twisting halls of the castle, and made it out without injury.

     The walk back to the caves was quiet. Tifa's mind was teeming. Who was Maleficent? How could she command the darkness and the monsters that came with it? Would she really be Radiant Garden's new ruler? What would she rule over? There was hardly anything – or anyone – left.

     “She can't have this place.” Squall said suddenly. Tifa looked at him, surprised at his determined tone.

     “What do you mean?”

     “The Garden. She can't have it.” His eyes were blazing. Not with rage, Tifa had seen Squall in a rage and this was nothing like that. No, it was more like the calm before a storm, energy building before a damn broke.

     “Squall, it's... not really the Garden anymore.” Squall stopped short at her comment, and she drew up beside him, gently taking his hand. “Look around. There's nothing. The few buildings that are still standing will collapse soon. Even the castle is ruined. Everyone's dead, gone, or... worse.” She swallowed, doing everything she could to stay calm. “This isn't the place we've lived for so long. This isn't our home anymore. It's... hollow.” She watched his face, nervous. He didn't meet her eyes. Instead, he just stared off into the horizon, seemingly deep in thought. Then he spoke again.

     “Fine. Maybe this isn't the Garden anymore. Maybe it is just a hollow bastion.” He turned to her, teeth bared in determination. “But that doesn't mean it's hers. That doesn't mean it can't become what it once was. I won't rest until Radiant Garden is restored, I swear it. No matter where I go, no matter what I do or how long it takes, I'll see to it that Radiant Garden will shine once more.” He put a hand on his heart. “I stake my life on this. I've lost too much to lose this place too.”

     Tifa threw her arms around his neck, not knowing whether she was comforting him or herself. She didn't cry. She'd used up all her tears back in the castle.

     “Squall-”

     “No.”

     “Huh?” She pulled back a bit, confused.

     “Don't call me that. If this place is no longer Radiant Garden, then I am no longer Squall. Not until I fulfill my promise.” He said it with so much conviction, but Tifa couldn't restrain a small smile. Even at a time like this, he was so melodramatic.

     “Alright. What do you want to be called instead?” she asked. He looked past her for a moment, thinking.

     “Leon.” he said simply. She giggled, and he glared down at her. “What?!”

     “That's still your old name, silly, just a different part of it!” she laughed, stepping away and gently pushing his chest as she did so. “But alright. Leon it is. Leon, and Hollow Bastion. Until the day things return to how they should be.” It was a solemn statement, but both of them had small smiles on their faces. Though the sky was dark, it was still a new day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, writing Maleficent was a lot of fun, I wish I could've given her a longer scene. Hopefully she'll show up more in the future! Kudos and comments are, as always, appreciated.


End file.
